Chapter 395: Lin Qingye

Ji Xuan struggled to open her eyes; her head felt heavy and muddled, as if she were suffering from a hangover from the night before.

"You're awake."

A familiar voice with a hint of teasing rang out. Ji Xuan sat up with a sudden jolt, instantly wide awake.

"Special Commissioner, how... how are you in my room?"

Ji Xuan looked at Chen Che, who was sitting on the sofa fiddling with his phone, and asked cautiously, subconsciously clutching the quilt tightly to her body.

Chen Che looked up from his phone to glance at her and said, "Think carefully about where this is."

Ji Xuan furrowed her brows. Suddenly, the memories of last night flooded back all at once, and she turned red in an instant.

She hurriedly pulled back the quilt and discovered her clothes were still intact. She let out a sigh of relief, yet felt a strange sense of disappointment.

"Special Commissioner, I'm sorry, yesterday I..."

"Yesterday was my oversight as well; I forgot that you had also drunk that cup of coffee. However, I have already cleared the toxins for you, but for at least the next three days, you cannot use your True Qi."

Ji Xuan pulled back the quilt and got out of bed. Her head was still a bit dizzy and her body swayed slightly. She walked over to Chen Che and said apologetically, "Special Commissioner, I've caused you trouble. Please forgive me."

Chen Che looked up: "I said it's not your fault. Besides, I should be thanking you for testing the poison for me."

"That was only what I should have done..."

Ji Xuan bit her lip, looking a bit bashful. "Special Commissioner... about last night... could you please... keep it a secret?"

Chen Che chuckled: "Otherwise? What good would it do me to go around talking about it?"

Ji Xuan was visibly relieved and bowed deeply: "Thank you so much."

Chen Che waved his hand: "Alright, go tidy up quickly, then go help me gather information on the Takiji Group. Before you woke up, Yamamoto Tomoya sent people over; he has already made arrangements on his end. I am going to Mingzhi Shrine in a moment."

Ji Xuan nodded: "Understood, I'll go now."

………

Mingzhi Shrine, also known as Mingzhi Temple, is an important Shinto shrine located in the Shibuya District of Tokyo, Japan.

The architectural style of the shrine reflects the traditional Shinto style, specifically the *nagare-zukuri* style, which is known for its simple, elegant lines and asymmetrical roof.

The main building materials are Japanese cypress, chosen for its durability and beauty. The roof of the shrine is covered in copper plates, which develop a beautiful green patina over time.

Chen Che stepped out of the car; the elegance and solemnity of the shrine were clear at a glance.

He suddenly felt that having his Fifth Senior Sister Lin Qingye under house arrest in a place like this didn't seem so bad, aside from the lack of freedom.

But this thought changed the moment he stepped into the shrine.

Sunlight filtered through the treetops, dappling the stone path of Mingzhi Shrine. Chen Che, dressed in a crisp suit, walked through the shrine's gate with a steady gait.

The person accompanying him was no longer someone like Izumaru Naomi, but Yamamoto Tomoya himself.

This was enough to show the level of importance Yamamoto Tomoya now placed on Chen Che.

Led by Yamamoto Tomoya, Chen Che walked slowly along the main path of the shrine. On both sides were neatly trimmed shrubs and blooming cherry blossom trees. Despite the vibrant spring atmosphere, Chen Che's mind was not on the scenery.

His gaze swept across his surroundings from time to time, noting the guards hidden among the flowers and tree shadows.

The security at Mingzhi Shrine was even tighter than he had anticipated; he could see patrolling guards every few steps. Their eyes were vigilant, and the weapons in their hands glinted coldly in the sunlight.

Chen Che's pace was unhurried; he knew that any sudden movement could attract unnecessary attention.

His gaze swept over every building and every path as if casually, but in reality, he was silently mapping out the layout of the shrine in his mind.

He noticed that the closer he got to where Lin Qingye was being held, the denser the patrolling guards became. Their steps were more cautious, and their eyes revealed a firm, inviolable resolve.

Chen Che's gaze was sharp. He deliberately slowed his pace to admire the scenery along the way, while silently calculating the distribution of the sentry posts in his heart.

The sentry posts at Mingzhi Shrine were as dense as pieces on a chessboard; a guard could be seen every few steps.

They stood in the shade of trees or hid among the flowers, their eyes as sharp as hawks, patrolling every corner.

Chen Che noticed that these sentry posts were not arranged randomly, but were carefully designed to ensure surveillance with no blind spots.

As he ventured deeper into the shrine, the density of the sentry posts became even more apparent. Every stone bridge and every small path was guarded by at least two sentries. Their figures flickered in and out of the tree shadows, not just to maintain order, but to prevent any unauthorized approach.

Chen Che let his gaze linger on each sentry post for a moment, appearing to admire their rigor and professionalism, but in reality, he was silently memorizing the location of each post and the guards' shift change times. This information was crucial for his next move.

"It really is heavily guarded. It seems Leader Yamamoto is protecting President Lin very well."

Chen Che's pace was calm and unhurried, his expression without a ripple.

Yamamoto Tomoya looked back at Chen Che and smiled: "Ensuring President Lin's safety is my duty; naturally, I dare not be negligent."

After a series of twists and turns, the two finally arrived at the room where Lin Qingye lived.

Yamamoto Tomoya signaled to the guards standing at the door. The retro wooden door opened, and the first things to come into view were two young girls wearing kimonos.

"Saki, Yui, this is Special Commissioner Chen from Xia."

Yamamoto Tomoya introduced them.

The two girls greeted Chen Che respectfully: "Greetings, Special Commissioner Chen."

Chen Che lifted his chin slightly in response.

Yamamoto Tomoya asked again: "Where is President Lin?"

The two girls stepped aside from the doorway, and Yamamoto Tomoya and Chen Che walked in.

The interior of the room was quite large; a single room that completely contained both a living room and a bedroom.

The door was a retro-style wooden door, but the interior of the room was full of modern flair, except that this spacious room and the words "clean and tidy" had absolutely nothing to do with each other.

Because it was simply too dirty!

The room was filled with a chaotic atmosphere, as if it were a forgotten battlefield; every corner told a story of haste and neglect.

On the floor, various items were scattered in disorder, as if they were traces left behind by a violent storm.

Piles of books and magazines were stacked in the corners, their covers facing up, the paper slightly curled, as if silently protesting the fate of being discarded at will.

Several empty coffee cups and fast-food boxes were placed casually on the tabletop, the residual liquid having dried and left behind rings of brown stains.

On the floor, several pieces of clothing were discarded at random; their wrinkles and messy arrangement made it difficult to recognize their original color and texture.

A corner of the sofa was occupied by a pile of miscellaneous items, from socks to remote controls, from old newspapers to snack bags; they seemed to be silently telling the story of the occupant's daily life.

The curtains were half-drawn, and the sunlight streaming through the gap cast mottled light and shadows on the floor, but these rays seemed powerless to pierce through this layer of heavy chaos.

Chen Che was glad he didn't see dust dancing in the light, otherwise he really would have been unable to resist turning around and leaving.

It was also at this moment that he discovered the two young girls named Saki and Yui were wearing aprons over their kimonos, and their fair faces were smeared with varying degrees of filth; clearly, before they arrived, these two wretched "nannies" had been helping the resident clean up.

Chen Che stepped over the "bombs" covering the floor, walked into the living room, and finally saw the owner of this room.

However, Lin Qingye clearly hadn't noticed anyone arriving at this moment, or perhaps she had heard the sound but didn't care.

She was wearing loose pajamas, her feet were propped up on the back of the sofa, her body was slumped crookedly on the cushions, she had a facial mask on, yet she was chewing on potato chips one bite at a time, her eyes fixed on the television screen, and from time to time, with no ladylike decorum, she would scratch her bottom with a hand covered in potato chip crumbs.

Chen Che turned his head to glance at the two kimono-clad girls and smiled helplessly; although their purpose was surveillance, keeping close watch on such a difficult young lady was hard enough for them.

"Lin Qingye," Chen Che called out.

Hearing the voice, Lin Qingye turned her head to look over, holding a potato chip in her mouth, and muttered, "A person from Xia?"

………